Legal assistant officer accused of misusing Western’s K268mil

By KARO JESSE
LEGAL assistant officer Tabitha Malken employed by Young and Williams law firm is alleged to be involved in the misuse of K268 million from Western people’s dividend trust account and is scheduled to make her first appearance before the Waigani Committal Court tomorrow.
Police arrested and charged Malken, 40, from Wosera-Gawi, East Sepik, with 17 counts of misappropriation, 16 counts of false pretence, two counts of conspiracy and 18 counts of money laundering.
She was later released on police bail of K2,000.
The case was listed yesterday, however, it had to be deferred to allow Malken’s lawyer to have access to the police file before she could be formerly arraigned.
The police summary of facts alleged that Malken, while employed as the legal assistant for Gloria Salika, of Young and Williams, lawyers, used her company email address to communicate with ANZ (Australia and New Zealand) Banking Group Ltd employees for the purpose to facilitate the transfer of K15 million from the Western people’s dividend trust account at ANZ to the Young and Williams’ trust account in Bank South Pacific Financial Group Ltd.
The police alleged that when the K15 million was transferred out from the trust account successfully, a formal complaint was reported to police through the office of the Police Commissioner last Aug 19, by North Fly MP James Donald alleging that the transfer, including the others totalling the sum of K269 million, had been done under the false pretence and the funds had been misappropriated by the directors and management of Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Ltd and Young and Williams particularly.